I HAVE A DREAM Superstar Singer-Songwriter Mark Feehily collaborated with interior designer Sean Cochrane to create this uniquely elegant and tranquil London home. After a hectic decade touring the world as part of the mega-successful Irish band Westlife, with 14 UK number one singles and sales of 50 million records worldwide under his belt, Singer-Songwriter Mark Feehily was dreaming of the day he was able to take on some different kinds of creative projects. He didn’t have long to wait: joining forces with award-winning Interior Designer, Sean Cochrane, known for his seamless blend of original and contemporary design – and a private client list that reads like a little back book of A-list celebrities – the pair begun an exciting design collaboration on a luxury development project. “Mark had seen some of my other projects, so he asked me to come on board when he bought this beautiful, very early Victorian house in South West London,” recalls Sean. Beautiful it was, but in good repair it most definitely wasn’t. Spread over five floors, the house had been divided into several flats which had all seen better days. “But there was an opportunity to restore the building, put it back together as a single house and create an amazing space,” he says. “Mark’s vision was to create a London house that was comfortable, luxurious and relaxing, but a little edgy in its design too.” One of the first challenges was to create a dramatic open-plan ground floor with double-height area at the rear. “We took out a whole section of floor and added a large network of steels to support the structure,” describes Sean. “It has created a very modern feel in the interior, but we added architectural panelling and features in the style of the original structure to create the blend of old and new that suits the house.” The lower ground floor is home to the spacious and light-filled kitchen. “We hid as much as possible behind panelling, so that the room doesn’t look too obviously kitchen-y,” explains Sean of the design. “I love panelling because it adds interest and grandeur to any room, and makes it hard to tell what is old and what is new.” Painted in bold, yet warm, shades of grey, the room is striking and elegant. “Mark is adventurous in his use of colour and happy to step out of the norm,” says Sean. “It allowed us to work together creatively to create a house with a difference.” Q&A SEAN COCHRANE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, COCHRANE DESIGN How did you create the living area layout? From the entrance hall, the space becomes one entirely open-plan floor, with living and dining areas, and beyond that, a double-height library section with French doors opening directly on to the garden. The double-height section adds instant impact and throws maximum natural light to the room. And the kitchen? Stairs lead down from the living area to a very large kitchen. In keeping with the period feel of the house, we created a secret wall; elegant panelling conceals the appliances, a larder and even a tucked-away cloakroom all along one wall. And we reflected the design of the panelling in the base of island and in the cabinets on the opposite wall, so that it has quite a traditional feel. Tell us about the colours and finishes The dark grey colours create a modern feel, and add a surprising amount of warmth. We painted one section of tall cabinetry in Cornforth white and a bookcase in Black Blue to provide contrast to the Down Pipe-painted island and panelled sections of wall. Carrara marble worktops and classic glamour, and the aged oak floor brings in more warmth. We wanted to make the kitchen feel as if it always belonged there. Credit/Source: EKBB magazine / Thanks Anita :) | mark-feehily.net
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 10:09:30 +0000
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